So how did I get started? I'll rewind back to December 2016. A few months earlier, i'd been made redundant from my day-job and I decided to really take some time to think about what my next career move would be. Music has inherently always been a part of me and although I'd suppressed that part for a long, long time, I found myself drawn to perhaps exploring that side once more.
I bought a guitar again, got really bored within a few weeks of my fingers aching and getting frustrated with the lack of dexterity I once had and I found a link to a one-day songwriting course being held in January 2017. I instinctively clicked on the link and signed up and went along, scared as hell when I looked in the room and saw all these cool, creative artistic types, of all ages and then, me. But my fear was really my own and I had a great day of learning some basic principles of songwriting. Of course, that day lit the spark - I went onto use the same Academy to do a weekend songwriting bootcamp and met an incredible, talented bunch of people, most i'm now great friends and songwriting buddies with. We got on so well, most of us then joined the Academy for a year membership and went on a life-changing week long songwriting retreat in June 2017 in Spain.
Even though in that week I felt so green to the process and intimidated beyond belief in being surrounded by people who were musicians, lyricists, singers, songwriters (and most had been for years), I've also never felt so accepted, completely and unconditionally than I did then. And at a point where I'd felt so worthless and low because of losing my job.
The incredible, talented mentors, who had and still have amazing careers in music - of which I am proud to call friends and collaborators - one of which is producing all of my EP's and providing a huge ton of support and another who I love writing songs and hanging out with as often as we can! Equally, a truly amazing bunch of talented songwriters who were added to my previous list of collaborators and within that, some writing and spiritual soulmates. We now write regularly, some have helped write some of the EP tracks and we love and support each others' efforts like a family, so what's not to love?
I could turn this into a "Go For Your Dreams" blog, but then that would waste another blog topic! All i'm saying is, if you have a dream and you want to fulfil it the best you can, make positive steps to make them happen, because they really can. It's what taking me on this musical chapter and however scary or daunting it may feel, it's been filled with the most incredible memories so far and I just can't wait to make more and more over the next few months and beyond... x